In The Beginning
by raccoonqueen
Summary: The untold history of the world-famous Evergreen Family, and the man that started it all.
1. Prologue

Prologue

If you want to know how the TFS and the Evergreen Family came to be, allow us to take you way back...all the way back in time, to the very beginning of the saga. And no, we do not mean the story about Dr. Hamsterviel's plot to steal the presidency.

The year is 1828, when the Spanish still ruled over the tropical paradise that was Cuba; the de la Cruz sugar plantation, located within the Spanish colony on the island, is the birthplace of a pirate-turned-hero, who is destined to become the ancestor of the Raccoon, Armington, and Roberts families. This is the story of Captain Richard Roberts, the man that started it all!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

July 7, 1828

The hot, sweltering summer days in Cuba were way too much for the African slaves of the de la Cruz plantation. Their master, Ricardo Alvarro de la Cruz, obviously didn't care; as one of the most respected and influential slaveowners in the Spanish colonial village of Havana, the only way he could be twice as successful is if he made his servants work hard enough. However, he did keep an eye on one of the slaves, who at the very moment was having trouble picking off the sugar cane stalks. She was the one he adored the most...her name was Maria.

She was only 14 years old when she was snatched away from the embrace of her parents in West Africa; along the way she survived the horrors of the slave ship, on the pathway to Cuba, and ended up on the auction block in the center of the village. Ricardo didn't buy her simply because he wanted a new worker to tend to his sugar and tobacco crops-he bought her because he thought she was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen in his entire life. So beautiful...but he knew his wife wouldn't approve of him being with the girl, so instead he simply left her alone. With no family and no identity, the young African girl was christened Maria Dolores, after his mother.

One day, Ricardo's wife fell sick and died, leaving him childless and without any heirs to his vast fortune. He realized, right then and there, that he needed to produce a heir right away before he dies-if that happened, there would be no one around to carry on his legacy. Fortunately, there was Maria, now 17, still working in the fields; it was time he changed her status from slave to concumbine.

"But I will _never _bear your child!" she retorted one night, when he told her about his offer. "After all that has happened to me a few years ago, I won't forgive you for taking me away from everything I had known in my previous life!"

Ricardo replied, "My dear, I apologize for those actions. However, since I'm in a desperate need for a suitable heir to my property and wealth, as well as to preserve the bloodline of my family, you must consider the offer I am giving to you. I pray you will accept, Maria-if you become the mother of my child, I will give you more love and respect than I can ever have for the other slaves. And, if it be the Madonna's will, let it be a son! Of course, I'll even set you free once the child is weaned...provided you leave him with me."

"Yes...but, what will become of the child, if I leave?"

"He will be raised to become the most influential man in the colony. Despite his mixed heritage, I have a hunch that he will be received well."

Maria had no choice but to agree. The results of the offer came along quite easily, now that she was heavily pregnant. As he watched her cutting off the sugar cane stocks, carefully but weakly, he grew concerned of her welfare. Extrenous work on the sugar plantations aren't good for expectant slaves; she should be retiring until after the baby is born. And that's just what he thought when he witnessed her suddenly fainting. Growing even more concerned, Ricardo immediately sent for a midwife to attend to her.

Later that evening, Maria gave birth to a healthy baby boy, much to her master's delight. His complexion was, unlike hers, a lighter shade of brown due to him having carried every single drop of Hispanic blood. The proud father came down to see the infant; it turned out the midwife who assisted in the birth was an elderly female raccoon, a Gypsy who had been wandering through the village at the time when she heard the news of a female slave in labor.

"Madame Zorina, how could I ever thank you for your help?" said Ricardo happily. "This son...this firstborn son of mine...he'll be the one to carry on my legacy when I die."

Madame Zorina gazed at the mewling newborn in her arms, before smiling. She answered, "Yes. He certainly will...but take note that he will be doing more than just carrying on your legacy..."

Despite his strict Catholic upbringing, Ricardo always respected the Gypsy and trusted in her prophecies, with the hope that they'd turn out to be favorable outcomes. "What is it? What will he do?"

"I see his future coming into view," she continued solemnly. "This infant will grow up to become twice as successful as you are. He will protect the innocent...conquer all of his enemies...his children and his children's children will be scattered on all four corners of the earth..."

He grinned at every word she uttered about the prophecy. A protector of the Spanish empire...enemy of all enemies...and, most importantly of all, his bloodline would be preserved throughout the generations. But then he became dumbfounded when she concluded, "...however, there will be certain enemies who are against everything this world stands for. They are against peace...they are against happiness...and they'll do anything to eliminate those things by possessing the earth and claiming it as their own. In order to do that, they may have to go past this man and his descendants; time after time they will fail...because they do not know that good luck will always be on their side."

With that, she dipped her finger into the anointing oil and gently spread it on the baby's forehead. Then she handed him back to his mother, urging her to raise the infant to do good, and let him choose a path of his own when he comes of age. Not long after she left, something different came over the plantation-for the first time since their forced kidnapping from their ancestral homeland, the slaves felt spiritually free! Now in good spirits they vowed to keep working in spite of the hot weather. And with his newborn son named the sole heir of his wealth, Ricardo had never been that satisfied in his entire life.

Soon, the infant was baptized and he was given the name Ricardo de la Cruz II; in short, life was peaceful in the colony...until the pirates came into the picture.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Only seven years had passed since Ricardo II's birth; by then he had grown into a bright young boy, wanting to know everything about the world around him. As for Maria, her master had fulfilled his promise to her by setting her free the moment Ricardo II was weaned; he never saw his mother again after that, so for the rest of his life he was raised by a nursemaid.

At his father's insistence, he was promptly home-schooled by a tutor, and he enjoyed his lessons very well. Even Madame Zorina came by on occasions to tutor him as well-she knew it was important for her to inform the boy about the prophecy she had uttered all those years ago, and what he has to do with it.

Then it happened. A group of rogue pirates, led by the notorious Captain Jedediah "Shark-Tooth" Roberts, invaded Havana and started attacking it. Many men, women, and children were slaughtered mercilessly; the homes of the wealthy were both plundered and set on fire. Sensing that danger was not far behind, Ricardo ordered his men to defend the island. But that was deemed a failure, for they knew the pirates of Captain Roberts were far more stronger and more brutal than they appeared to be.

Still, Ricardo wasn't taking any chances, so he set his slaves free and told them to seek safe shelter far from the site of the carnage. Following this, he procceeded to take his son to a special room within the mansion that can only be opened by him. He said, "My son, be brave for me. I'm going to defend this country...even if I have to die trying..."

Then he closed and locked the doors as he went to fight the pirates, only to come face to face with Captain Roberts himself. The pirate leader, he knew, was the most dangerous men on the face of the planet; he sailed around the world, in search of settlements to plunder, kill, or even take potential slaves.

"I dare you to try to get past me," growled Ricardo. "You may kill me, but you will never kill the spirit of the Spanish empire!"

Captain Roberts just smirked and thrust his sword into Ricardo's body. The millionaire gasped, coughing up blood, before he keeled over in pain; he collapsed in a pool of blood, just as the captain forced open the doors. Once Ricardo II came out and witnessed the gruesome scene, he was mortified.

"Father!" he cried out. Glaring angrily at the captain, he demanded, "What have you done with my father?"

Captain Roberts looked down at the boy, staring at him coldly. He replied, "Your father is no longer with you, lad. From this day forth, I'm your father!"

He grabbed Ricardo II by the arm and dragged him away from the room. The deed being done, the pirates and the captain returned to their ship, with the booty and with the boy. Madame Zorina had seen it all happen-the massacre of the villagers, the death of Ricardo de la Cruz, and the kidnapping of his son. As she watched the ship sail away, she bowed her head sadly and whispered a prayer: "O almighty Procyon, protector of raccoons and patron of the helpless, heed my prayer. Watch over the child..."

Meanwhile, on board the pirate ship called the _Hungry Shark_, Ricardo II was tossed into a small and dirty room, where Captain Roberts told him he'd be sleeping in. He said, "Welcome to your new life, lad. The previous life as you know it is gone; today you begin your new life not as a plantation owner's son, but as a cabin boy."

"But my name is still Ricardo de la Cruz II," the boy retorted. "And don't you ever forget that!"

Captain Roberts grabbed Ricardo II by the collar of his shirt and glared at him. He snarled, "Don't...you...ever...mention that name again! You forget that I have adopted you...I have taken you under my wing. I never had children of my own, so I had to take you! Besides, I am about to give you a new name to replace your old one."

"And what is that?"

"...your name is Richard Jedediah Roberts. 'Tis the name of my grandfather...I tend to honor him well by giving you his name."

Ricardo II was outraged; if there was one thing he hated the most, it's foreign names. "My name's _not _Richard! It's Ricardo! I like my old name better!"

"Your name _will _be Richard, and that's that!"

"Ricardo!"

"Richard!"

"Ricardo!"

"Richard!"

"RICARDO!"

Captain Roberts frowned. "Still the persistent young lad, are you?" He left the room, then returned with a scrub brush and a bucket of water. "Well...here, then! Since you insist on retaining your birth name, perhaps this will make you change your tune. I order you to clean this room, top to bottom, wall to wall! And it better be fresh and clean by the time I get back. Do I make myself entirely clear?"

Ricardo II hung his head and muttered humbly, "Aye, Captain."

As soon as the captain left, the boy went to work scrubbing the floors of his room. Just then, he heard a deep elderly male voice booming, "Young one!"

Startled, Ricardo II dropped the brush. He quickly looked around for its source, but he couldn't seem to find it. He muttered tenatively, "W-Who are you? What do you want?"

"I am Procyon," answered the disembodied voice. "The ancient guardian spirit of all the raccoons on the earth."

"...Madame Zorina has told me a lot about you...but I never knew who you really are until now."

"I have come to assist you in your time of trouble..."

"No, I don't think I need your help. Or anybody's help, for that matter. I'm not a plantation owner's son any more...I'm a cabin boy...a worthless servant of the pirates..."

An outraged raccoon chatter filled the room, and a ghostly figure in the form of a giant feral raccoon materialized before him. Stabbing a finger onto the boy's chest, he roared, "Don't call yourself that, young one! You are not worthless, nor do you see yourself having no value. As it has been noted by your old tutor, you have a future that is much brighter than you can imagine."

Ricardo II thought for a while. "Well, she did tell me a bit about the prophecy she made the day I was born."

"And that's why I'm here to show you. Now, close your eyes, and tell me what you see."

When Ricardo II closed his eyes, a series of images flashed through his mind. There was a vision of a helpless female rabbit surrounded by an angry crowd...a raccoon and a human shaking hands together in front of a building...a male raccoon about to shoot at a gerbil-like creature...that same raccoon sitting in what looked like a fancy office...it was happening so fast that he wasn't able to identify the flashing images. He said, "I...I don't know. They were so quick...I couldn't tell what they were all about. Are they part of the prophecy?"

Procyon nodded. "Those are the very signs of things yet to come in your lifetime and in everyone else's lifetime. You have a destiny like no other, a destiny people around you will remember for years to come. I predict that, when you come of age, you will realize your true calling as a hero-you will save many lives and go on to fight numerous enemies, even those who are the most powerful. Your descendants will equal the number of all the stars in the heavens...and one of them will become leader of them all. Take the time to think about fulfilling your destiny, young one, but until then you must start at the bottom. I must now take my leave...but not without bestowing my blessing upon you, just to ensure the prophecy comes true..."

He reached out and put his finger onto Ricardo II's chest; almost instantly a bright golden aura surrounded the boy from head to toe. After that, he removed the finger, continuing, "Just as I am the guardian spirit of the raccoons, your guardian spirit will be a dragon-a creature that represents the power of strength, courage, and wisdom. You may not like your new name at first, but as time rolls on you will come to accept it with pride. I bid you welcome to the world of future heroes...Richard 'Red Dragon' Roberts."

As soon as Procyon disappeared, Ricardo II pulled up his shirt and saw that there was a red tattoo of a ferocious dragon burned on his chest. He smiled, taking to heart the words the guardian spirit had uttered to him. With determination rising, he stood up with a start and shouted, "My name is Richard Roberts...and my destiny...is to become a hero!"

"QUIET, LAD, AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

Admonished by his master/foster father's harsh shouting, Ricardo II (now Richard) went back to scrubbing the floors and walls of the room; this time there was a confident smile on his face. And as the years passed and he grew older, he looked forward to the day when he will take over the position as captain of the ship and lead his crew on a search for a brighter future.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In no time at all, Richard grew under the tutelage of Captain Jed Roberts. By the time he turned 17, he was allowed to participate in battles; it was while the pirates sacked another village in Martinique that he killed his first victim, a feat the captain was very proud of. With that, Richard was rewarded with full membership in the crew...however, on the day he was initiated, something happened that changed his life for the better.

Captain Jed fell ill with scurvy and he was getting nearer and nearer to death, so he called Richard to his room. He muttered weakly, "Lad, through the years you've served me and the crew well as our cabin boy. Now you're at the age where you'll no longer be regarded as a servant, but as a leader. By the time I take my final breaths you are now the new captain of my crew...make me proud, boy, and plunder as many villages 'round the world as you can...I'll be lookin' down on you from Heaven's window, guiding you every step of the way..."

Richard could have told him Procyon is the one who will guide him, but he was not one to talk back to his master/foster father. He nodded, saying, "I'll accept the position." Captain Jed cracked a toothy smile, before letting go of Richard's hand and fading away; now as the new captain of the crew, he was ready to face the brave new world alone. Stepping out onto the deck, he announced to all before him, "The era of the Red Dragon has just begun!"

And so began the voyage of Captain Richard Roberts and his crew, as they went on to invade and plunder many more villages, towns, and cities all over the world; because of his fearlessness in battle, he was given the nickname "Red Dragon". There was even a sea shanty written about him and the story of his life.

_They call him the Red Dragon  
He's the taker of all lives  
Made orphans out of children  
And widows out of wives_

He had indeed made a name for himself as the new "Scourge of the Seven Seas". But nothing prepared him for that one day, in the spring of 1863, when an event occurred that completely changed his life for the worst (and eventually, for the better).

Somewhere not very far from Bermuda, and very far from the coast of Florida, the _Hungry Shark _got caught in a terrible seastorm. Richard and his crew almost managed to do their best to preserve their lives as the waves tossed the ship about, back and forth, side to side, and round and round. It seemed useless to keep going like this, so they had no choice but to abandon the ship; that being decided, they got on a boat and rowed away while watching their ship get smashed to pieces by the merciless waves. Soon, they found themselves arriving on the southern Georgia coastline.

"Surely this must not be Bermuda," said Richard, as they started to recover from the tempest. "But there is still work yet to be done. Come, let us see what villages are availible that we can plunder and people that we can kill or enslave..."

Just as they were about to go on their way, another group of men showed up and surrounded them. They were all wearing some type of blue uniform and they were riding on horses; they glared at the pirates, aiming their weapons at them. Richard gazed at them nervously-this was the first time in eighteen years that he had been caught, and from the looks of it he knew his sea-faring days would soon be over, if it hadn't been for a male general who came through to take a look at him.

"Who is this?" he asked.

One of the soldiers replied, "A pirate, General Grant. We saw him and his crew arriving at the shoreline twelve miles away from here. Shall we have permission to take them to the prison camp?"

"Just a moment..."

The general looked at Richard for a while, making the captain feel slightly uneasy. Then he asked, "You don't happen to be an escaped slave, do you?"

"In truth, I'm the son of a former slave," answered Richard. "I am Captain Richard Roberts, sir. The noble leader of the crew. As I have stated before, my mother was a former slave, but my father was one of the most influential Spanish plantation owners in all of Cuba. Many years ago, when I was a boy, a band of pirates captured me and put me to work as a cabin boy, and when their captain died I took over as their new leader...which I am to this very day."

The general stared at Richard for a moment, before turning to the soldiers and saying, "Let them go." The soldiers did as they were told and slowly backed away. Then he continued, "Pirates like you are not to be tolerated around here in these parts, and the penalty for that is a hanging. However, since you claim to have both an African and Hispanic heritage, I shall spare your life for your sake."

"Thank you."

"But that doesn't mean I will let you get away with it that easy. From now on, you belong to us. Now I'm going to offer you two choices-you can either work for me as a spy for the Union army, or you can spend the rest of the war in a prison camp. It's your choice."

Richard thought long and hard at this. If he wants to remain free, he must accept the offer to be a spy. And, as much as he wanted to go on being the pirate captain, he didn't want to face the possibility of rotting in jail. Worst of all, he was afraid he'd let the late Captain Roberts down because of that. Suddenly, he heard the voice of Procyon in his mind, telling him, _"Your life is in your very paws, young one. You can choose to leave your past behind and embrace the future, but you mustn't forget about your legacy."_

"I will not forget," Richard whispered. He reached into his pocket and took out a pistol; he didn't have to do this, but he had no other choice. He had to abandon his crew the only way he knew how-by killing them. He sighed sadly.

"Cap'n," said the crew member. "If you're going to kill us, then let us at least die knowing that you have been a good captain to us for all these years."

"And you shall." Pulling the trigger, he shot him, then shot the rest. They all fell dead in front of him, their last breaths being sighs of sorrow. Richard turned back to the general and continued, "I accept the first choice. I will become your spy."

The general nodded. With that, he, the soldiers, and Richard left the bodies of the dead pirate crew behind. Becoming a spy for the Union army wasn't bad enough, but when he went to Atlanta on his first mission, it was about to get even better.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Adulterer!"

"Harlot!"

"Outcast!"

Holed up in a mansion outside Atlanta, a female rabbit tried hard to ignore the insults the angry townspeople hurled at her from below. There were tears in her eyes...tears of sadness and of anguish. She knew this would happen the moment her husband went away to war two years ago.

Back then, Scarlett O'Hare was every inch a Southern belle. She had married a handsome young pig named Charles Hamilton, and not long after their wedding he decided to go fight in the Civil War. And he didn't even have time to spend the wedding night with her! Poor Scarlett was lonely once again, with nobody to comfort her and nobody to accompany her while the war between the North and the South raged on. However, one day, she met someone else who did, a French-Canadian raccoon named Raoul LePatte. He had arrived in the American South from Quebec with his family; he was looking for work, as well as safe shelter for his wife and children. Scarlett did not know why he came here, nor did she take notice of the fact that he was a happily married man. All she knew is that he was so handsome, she wanted him for a lot more than just simple companionship. In other words...she seduced him. Raoul noticed this immediately and tried to resist, but after a few more attempts to get away it was no use-she had caught him in her love trap.

Nine months later, the result of the extramaritial encounter arrived. Scarlett gave birth to a healthy baby boy on a warm spring day; he was all rabbit with a cotton tail, but there was something that stirred the midwife's curiosity, as he bore a black mask that covered his face. When questioned about the newborn infant's appearance, including why he had a black mask like a raccoon's, Scarlett said nothing. She was afraid to bring up the name of the child's biological father.

Now the midwife knew something was wrong, so she decided to spy on Scarlett in order to figure out the origins of the baby boy's identity. And sure enough, she caught her mating with Raoul in the horse stables one night; Scarlett shuddered every time she looked back on that horrific memory.

FLASHBACK

_It was a cool spring night in the O'Hare plantation. This was the perfect night for Scarlett to invite Raoul to the horse stables, the place where they often met and made love in. Incidentally, the horse stable they were going to mate in was the same one her son Charles was conceived in._

_"I have a confession to make, before we begin," said Scarlett, as she and Raoul sat down on the bed of hay together. "Remember last year, when we made love in this stable? Well...a couple of weeks ago, I had a son. Our son."_

_"What is his name?" he asked._

_"Charles Hamilton Roberts. I gave him that name upon learning that my husband died in battle."_

_"I'm sorry to hear that. I did not know you were also married, too."_

_"And now I'm a widow...I'll never be able to see him again...but you're here. You love me, don't you? And I still want to be with you forever..."_

_Raoul turned away angrily. He retorted, "Not a chance! _Non_! This has gone on far too long enough. Do you even realize that you have completely ruined my life? You've made me betray my own family by lying down with you. I am not going to take that chance ever again!"_

_"But, but...you did father a son," replied Scarlett plaintively, obviously upset._

_"I don't deserve to be his father any more than your late husband does. If he is still alive, that is."_

_"You just don't understand, Raoul. I...I love you!"_

_Suddenly, the doors of the stable burst open and the midwife peered into it. Upon seeing Scarlett with Raoul, her eyes burned with fury. She shouted, "Aha! Just as I suspected!"_

_"Ms. MacDougal!" gasped Scarlett. "This...isn't what it looks like..."_

_"You should be lucky your husband isn't alive to witness this tragedy. You have indeed had a child by someone other than him, including...that immigrant! And he's a raccoon? No wonder the child had a black mask!"_

_"But I can explain!"_

_"You'll have no time to do all your explaining once we're through with you, Miss O'Hare! I'll inform everyone about this."_

_With that, the midwife left. Scarlett called out for her to stop, but it was too late-she was gone in a flash. She sighed, before turning to Raoul and saying, "At least you're still around to help me...wait, where are you going?"_

_"I have plenty of reasons to be ashamed of myself," he replied mournfully. "And this is one of them! I must now take my leave. Goodbye, Scarlett-I don't ever want to see you _or _hear from you again for as long as I live."_

_"But, Raoul-"_

_"GOODBYE!"_

_He ran out of the stable and didn't bother to look back. Watching her ex-lover run off into the night, she fell down on the hay and sobbed convulsively. She truly regretted making that choice, and now she had to raise her son alone...and become a social outcast for the rest of her days._

END OF FLASHBACK

A crash from the window jolted Scarlett out of her tragic daydream. She looked out and saw that one of the townspeople had thrown a rock through the window. He shouted, "Let's get her!"

Scarlett barely had any time to get away before the door to her bedroom was knocked down; two groups of men stormed in, grabbed the rabbit by her arms, and roughly dragged her away. As they passed by the door that led to the nursery, she heard her son's frantic cries. She screamed out, "No! Charlie!"

Soon, they had brought her out of the house and threw her onto the ground. The midwife who had caught her red-handed approached Scarlett and forcefully picked her up. She called out, "Bring me the branding iron!"

She held on the rabbit's arm tightly while the others fetched a branding iron with the letter A. She continued sternly, "You will now be labeled 'A' for adulterer, the outcast of the town, the scum of the country. And for that, you shall die."

"And what of my son?" asked Scarlett worriedly.

"He will die, too. Freaks of nature like him do not deserve to live. So we will burn this house down...while he's inside it!"

Scarlett looked deep into the burning eyes of the crazed midwife. There was something odd about her that she did not notice before-instead of the usual blue eyes, her eyes were a bright yellow. Suddenly, Scarlett started seeing a vision of the midwife's face morphing into that of an evil-looking female whippet dog with grayish purple fur, bat wings, sharp fangs, and a cackle that echoed throughout the deep expanses of her mind. Then she looked around and watched the faces of all the townspeople morph into faces of other demon dogs; they seemed to be laughing at her rather than jeering at her, sending her into a state of panic. Just as the branding iron was about to reach her other arm...

A horse's neigh was heard from a distance and Richard and his men came riding in from out of nowhere, scattering the townspeople into all directions. He swooped in, scooped Scarlett into his arms, and glared angrily at the midwife. He snarled, "Belladonna, dog demon of the Underworld...I knew you'd stoop so low to do this to such an innocent lady like her."

The midwife laughed heartily and replied, "Well, ain't that the truth." She then transformed to reveal her true identity-Belladonna! She continued, "I've heard about the prophecy, and I want to make sure that it doesn't come to pass. I've killed every woman in town to ensure that anyone doesn't become the ancestress of a future generation of heroes. But when _this _rotten cottontail had a baby, I knew it was too late, so I had to kill two birds with one stone...and you RUINED IT!"

"You're not going to kill her while I'm around," replied Richard. "The prophecy is meant to come to pass; I'll never let you interfere with it!"

"The whole world will soon belong to me! No pathetic hero like you will ever stop me in my tracks!"

Just as she said that, an angry raccoon chatter echoed in the air and Procyon materialized in front of Belladonna. He roared, "BE GONE WITH YOU, MALEVOLENT MUTT! AND TAKE YOUR LACKIES WITH YOU!" He sent a lightning rod towards her and the other demon dogs, and in a flash they were gone, leaving behind a burnt crater where they had stood.

"Young one," he continued, pointing in the direction where the ex-pirate captain was preparing to go. "Take this woman and her son with you to the safest place possible. Now!"

Richard nodded, and Procyon disappeared. Watching Richard run in to get the baby, Scarlett asked, "How did you know the midwife's name was Belladonna?"

"I'll explain everything to you later," replied Richard, as he gently lifted Charles out of the crib. "In the meantime, come with me! Your safety and that of your son is at stake!"

He brought her back with him to the Union army camp, where he introduced himself, told her about the prophecy, and why he rescued her. At first, Scarlett was stunned to learn Richard was a pirate (she had always hated and feared pirates), but he reassured her that since his capture by the Union army he had changed and left that lifestyle behind. He then went on to tell her about Belladonna, who indeed had become the first villainess to lay a claim on the whole planet of Earth, along with a scheme to make it her own.

Long before she became a demon dog and before she became Annabelle's rival and foe, Belladonna used to be one of the most beautiful canine debutantes in all of England, not to mention the most desired one; back then, she and her older cousin were the best of friends, as well as puppyhood playmates. In 1820, she married Lord Rayian Fox, the oldest son of a duke and the heir to a large estate situated in the high mountains of Transylvania. In time their union produced a set of twins: their son Rain and their daughter Jane.

Unfortunately, the happiness and joy they shared together as a family through the years were cut short by a tragedy-Belladonna died after drinking a glass of wine that had somehow been tainted with poison. Her soul was sent to Hades, where her innocence was instantly replaced by a spirit of pure evil and transformed her into the very demon dog who had attempted to kill the bunny on this day.

"And that is why she was after me?" asked Scarlett.

Richard nodded. He said, "At the time I was born, Madame Zorina prophesied that I'd grow up to be a hero...the very hero you are sitting in front of even as I speak. My job is to protect the earth from all enemies, especially ones like Belladonna. She was the first of many villains to find out about the prophecy, that I would live to be the founder of a bloodline of future heroes and crime-fighters; with that in mind, she had gone out to ensure it doesn't happen."

"Why, of...of all the dreadful people I've met in my lifetime, it _had_ to be her! I always knew there was something wrong with the midwife when she inspected my son."

"Your son?"

Scarlett nodded. "His name is Charles. I named him after my husband...he was the result of an affair I had with another man while he was away at war...and he's the only one I've got. But now I have to hide him from the public eyes, after what the townspeople did to me..."

She began to cry. Richard couldn't help but feel sorry for her; it was then and there that he made a promise to make her life and that of her son's much better...but for a price. "Scarlett...I understand your emotional pain. But I can take it all away from you with this simple offer-if you agree to work alongside us as a spy and relay any information we might need about the Confederates' battle plans, then I will take very good care of you...and your son, too."

Scarlett wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "You...really think so?"

"A promise is a promise. I will never back down on it for as long as I live."

The rabbit smiled at him. Perhaps this human soldier isn't so bad after all. She whispered, "Thank you...Richard. I will do all I can to help you. Anything to get away from all the bad things that have happened to me...a promise is a promise, just like you said."

And it was so. She made good of her promise in assisting the Union soldiers by entering enemy territory and returning with news of what the Confederates were up to. Richard, on the other hand, made good of his promise by looking after her and young Charles. During that time, the couple eventually started to fall in love.

Then came the moment when the South finally surrendered a few years later. Richard had come to love Scarlett with all his heart, but there was something that completely bothered him. He wasn't sure whether it was lawful for a human man to marry an animal; all unions between humans and animals, sexual or otherwise, were forbidden. He was expected to marry a woman of his own kind, and that was what his father had in mind for him back when he was alive.

"Procyon," he said to the raccoon spirit the night after the surrender. "I have become attached to Scarlett; she is, by far, the most beautiful and gentle rabbit I have ever known in my lifetime. She's not like other women. Now at this moment, I have this burning desire to take her as my wife and be a good father to her son...but, as far as I know, I do not know anyone who has ever married a person of a different species, and yet I am only human. Years ago, my father wanted me to marry a woman of my own kind. Is it not true?"

Procyon shook his head. "Your father is dead, young one. Therefore he no longer has any control over how you want to live your life. You are now free to marry anyone you wish-it does not matter if your mate is a human or an animal. Since the dawn of time, I had given the creatures of the sky, earth, and sea plenty of free reign to interbreed with one another, if they so desire it, and humans-as of this day forward-are no exception. One does not simply extend the branches of his family tree alone; it takes a willing wife of any species to help make it so. Propose to her, young one, and I shall see to it that your long and happy marriage will be quite fruitful and that you will bring forth as many descendants as you can. The prophecy of the bloodline of the Red Dragon starts with you!"

Emboldened by his adopted guardian spirit's words, Richard set out to propose to Scarlett the following morning. On his way back to Atlanta, he stumbled upon something sparkling in the ground; he bent down to investigate it. It was a very beautiful rose...so shiny...so bright...so...enchanting. And it was the perfect gift for the occasion!

He finally arrived in Atlanta; things around here had changed a whole lot since the day he rescued her. Although Scarlett was careful not to tell the townspeople she worked with the Union army, she had actually gained back respect from them, and her hybrid son was accepted and loved by all. She had Richard to thank for helping her to win back respect and adoration from the townspeople; after all, he did promise her a "new life".

However, her new life was about to get even better when he showed up on the front steps of Tara that day and gave her the golden rose that he had discovered along the way. He said, "From the moment I first saw you, when you were about to get branded by Belladonna, I knew you needed a man who can offer eternal protection from harm. You have done very well helping us win the war, and now I'm about to give you an award worthy of a brave young lady like yourself. Scarlett, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Trying hard to fight back happy tears, Scarlett took the rose from him and gazed at it thoughtfully. She whispered, "It's beautiful...of course, I'll marry you. But, we're only different species-I'm a rabbit, you're a human. What will the townspeople say if they found out about this?"

Richard shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder. "Love has no boundaries. We're free to be whoever we want to be, no matter what anyone else says. Once we marry, I swear to take very good care of you and be a loyal and faithful husband."

"And be a stepfather to Charles as well?"

"...yes. I will be a good stepfather to him; I'll teach him everything I know. Remember, a promise is a promise."

"Indeed."

Soon, Richard and Scarlett were duly married a month later. They had become the first interspecies couple to get legally married, but it'll only be a long time, in a hundred years or more, before the rest will follow the trend. Upon exiting the courthouse, Madame Zorina greeted them. She said, "Praise be to the Great and Wise Procyon! I applaud your accomplishments in the battle, Richard Roberts. Now that you've gained a new status as a hero, just as I have predicted it to be, the prophecy will soon commence."

"It will," replied Richard. "Once we spend our first honeymoon together. If it wasn't for this lovely rabbit, we would never have won the war."

Scarlett added, "He even gave me this special flower as a reward for my services."

Madame Zorina gasped upon seeing the golden rose. She stammered, "Is...is this...it couldn't be! The Golden Rose...I've been looking for that plant all my life!"

"What do you mean?"

"My dear, this is no ordinary rose. According to my people, the Golden Rose is a rare plant that has the power to cure all ailments; as I can see, this rose is the last existing one availible in the world today. I was about the same age as you are when I first started searching for it."

"So, if I gave it to you..."

"Yes! Yes, you shall! For that selfless act of generosity, I will thank you with a curse."

Scarlett's eyes widened in horror. A curse? On her wedding day? No way she'll ever want that spoiling their happiness. But Madame Zorina reassured her that the curse she was about to put on the couple isn't a bad-luck type of curse. She continued, "Instead of grief, it will bring you joy. Instead of pain, it will give you comfort. I like to call this a 'blessing-curse'; once I cast it on you, it will ensure that your children, your children's children, and all of your descendants after you will be blessed with the gift of instant love at first sight. That being said, they will no longer have any trouble looking for a mate, regardless of species."

She pondered on whether or not to accept the blessing-curse. She was upset on having to give away the best gift she's ever had...but still, it's for the sake of winning the raccoon Gypsy's favor. After hesitating for a bit, Scarlett gave the rose to Madame Zorina, who smiled warmly and waved her paw around the couple; as she did so, a shower of gold and silver dust fell on them.

_Gold and silver, silver and gold  
May your love for each other be strong and bold  
Cupid's Folly it shall be  
True love at first sight for eternity_

Richard and Scarlett thanked the Gypsy, before going on their way to spend their honeymoon in New Orleans. It was at this time that they decided to consummate the marriage-Richard's first time mating with his non-human wife. He was surprised at how much his time spent in America changed him, from the world's youngest pirate to the world's bravest hero; it made him more sure of the prophecy Madame Zorina had uttered on the day of his birth.

_"He will protect the innocent...conquer all of his enemies...his children and his children's children will be scattered on all four corners of the earth..."_

Someone whispered his name, startling him out of his thoughts. It was Scarlett, smiling seductively and calling him to bed; now he knew what he had to do. As he and his lapine bride procceeded to make love under the sheets of the four-poster bed, he can hear the echoing voice of Procyon, urging him to become the ancestor of a new generation of heroes, always constant, always never-ending.

_"The prophecy of the bloodline of the Red Dragon starts with you!"_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

FOURTEEN YEARS LATER...

December 21, 1879

The first snowfall. Winter has come to town, and with Christmas coming up in a few days everyone was already getting into the spirit of the season. Two young girls, one a human and the other one a bunny, gazed out of the window at Tara. They were fascinated at the sight of snow falling onto the ground and they longed to play outside, but their mother had told them time and again that they'd have to wait until their father and brother come home from their trip to New York.

"When do you think they'll come back?" said the younger girl.

The older girl shook her head and replied, "I doubt it. Mama did say they will be gone for a couple of weeks; you know they won't stay away forever."

"Oh, I wish they'd come here sooner, before Christmas. I'm starting to miss them already...what if they're dead?"

"Don't worry, Bonnie. They'll be here before you know it."

They continued their indoor vigil, until they spotted a horse-drawn carriage coming down the lane. The girls' smiles brightened on their faces. They're home!

"MAMA!" the bunny shouted, hopping up and down excitedly. "THEY'RE HOME! CHARLIE AND PAPA ARE HOME!"

Moments later, Scarlett went outside to greet her husband and son, bringing her three children with her. Her oldest daughter, Ella Lorena Roberts, was a 13-year-old human girl with luscious locks of long black hair and a set of emerald-green eyes. She was a few years shy of becoming a Southern belle like her mother; she had been sent to the finest girls' schools in the county, to learn manners, etiquette, and how to be a lady. Soon, she will be making her debut and her parents will throw a grand ball in her honor. And with her unmistakable beauty (which she, of course, inherited from her mother), it won't be long before thousands of suitors from every part of the country will show up at the door, asking her father for her hand in marriage.

Then there was her younger sister, Bonnie. The small bunny, at the age of ten, had been living under her sibling's shadow since her birth. Everyone said she took after her mother in so many ways; the only difference was her fur, which was a darker shade of brown, like burnt brown sugar. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she took in the scenery of a winter wonderland around her, and twice she had resisted the urge to jump around in the snow, for fear of damaging her coat and dress.

Finally, nestled in his mother's arms, was the youngest child at five-Richard Roberts II. Just as Bonnie resembled her mother, Richard II resembled his father the most, right down to the large light-brown eyes. Seeing his son smiling up at him, as he got out of the carriage, reminded Richard of himself when he was that boy's age, in a time before the pirates invaded Cuba.

When his 17-year-old stepson hopped out of the carriage, the two girls pounced on him and he tumbled head-first into the deep snow. He lifted himself back up and spat out a mouthful of snow, looking up to see his half-sisters giggling at him. Bonnie cheered, "Merry Christmas, big brother!"

"Thank you," replied Charles, wiping the snow off of his coat sleeves. "But Christmas isn't until a couple of days. Apart from that, I am very glad to see you again."

The family gathered back inside the mansion for dinner; while they were eating, Richard began to tell them about the trip. The vacation was quite an eventful one; while they were spending their time in the city, they met a kindly old baker named Phineas Furr. He, along with his wife Louise, owned a small bakery in the Lower East Side. And they had a daughter-their only daughter and only child-the same age as Charles himself.

Alicia Furr was her name. A delightful Cocker Spaniel, 17 years old, demure, the apple of her father's eye and the love of the rabbit-raccoon hybrid's life. Charles found it hard to confess that he was in love with her; from the moment he first saw her, when she and her father ran to their aid when the carriage broke down, his heart was all a-flutter. Surely Madame Zorina's "Cupid's Folly" spell has started to work its magic into the next generation.

"Mother, Father," he said, as soon as Richard had finished telling his story. "I have a confession to make."

Scarlett looked up at her son. She asked, "What is it?"

"It's Alicia. The baker's daughter. We met her in New York, too."

"And...what about her?"

"...she has won my heart."

At hearing this, the rabbit froze, dropping her fork. All was quiet in the dining room; nobody said a word or made a single sound for at least a few moments, until Charles started speaking again. "We had a chance to talk to each other before we went back home. She's different...she's like no other woman I've ever known. And I love that she is kind, caring, and...ah, there are no more words to describe her infinite beauty, as well as her intelligence."

"It's nice that you have found a new mate while you were in New York," insisted Scarlett. "But it would be even nicer if I met her, to see if she is what you've said about her."

"You will. I heard she and her mother and father are going to attend a Christmas party at the Pawcourts'."

The Pawcourts were the wealthiest family in New York. They lived in the Upper East Side, just miles and miles away from where Alicia and her parents lived. The hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Pawcourt, were members of an elite club of millionaires, rubbing elbows with the likes of wealthy people such as the Rockefellers and the Astors. They had two daughters named Elizabeth and Mary; both were beautiful, but they were also very conceited and vain.

When they got wind of the news that the Roberts family were coming to the party, they were quite pleased. Both of them had fallen for Charles; although they've never met him personally, they knew his name, and they knew his family were just as wealthy as their own parents are. They made it a goal to woo and marry him one day...however, there was only one obstacle they had to get over before it could happen.

"Ugh! Alicia Furr?" complained Elizabeth, as she and her sister paced around back and forth in their room one night. "Why, of all people..."

Mary added, "We were hoping he'd be ours someday, but he had the nerve to bring along that plain mutt along as a date! If there's one thing I despise the most, it's plain people..."

"...and poor people..."

"...who sit in the streets..."

"...and in dirty buildings..."

"...who have no money and no jobs..."

"...nor fancy houses, fancy carriages, fancy clothes, or even fancy manners..."

They concluded in unison, "...in other words, THEY'RE AN INFERIOR CLASS!"

The two sisters stood there for a moment, pondering. Then Elizabeth said, "If only there was a way we can win Charles' affection, and make him forget all about that Alicia Furr..."

Just then, Belladonna materialized in a puff of red fiery smoke, startling the sisters. She said, "Perhaps I can be of assistance to you."

In her paw was a small flask filled with a bright green liquid; Elizabeth and Mary, ever so curious, leaned in to take a closer look. She continued, "If either one of you is to become the wife of Richard Roberts' stepson, I'd suggest you use this. I call it 'Love Potion #666'."

"What does it do?" asked Elizabeth.

"When a person drinks it, he or she will fall madly in love with the first person he or she sees. Wait until the Roberts' family shows up at the Christmas party; pour this potion into Charles' drink, and once he partakes of it you will have no trouble becoming his mate for life."

"A potion that will make anyone who drinks it fall in love...and if we use it on Charles...oh, by jove, we'll take it!"

Belladonna smiled and handed the flask over to Elizabeth. "I wish you good luck on your romantic endeavors." She turned away and, as she looked back and watched as the sisters admire the liquid in the flask, she smirked and thought, _"Surely my alternate plan to stop the Roberts bloodline from progressing will work..." _And with that, she disappeared.

But little did she know that, thanks to a fickle finger of Fate (and Madame Zorina's interference), Plan B of Belladonna's evil plot would soon fail...


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

New York City was alive and bustling with activity the following evening. Many people, mostly humans, were up and about, preparing for the upcoming holiday season and visiting loved ones. Only half of them were immigrants, who have come to celebrate their first Christmas in their new homeland; one of them, though he doesn't know it, is about to change the very course of the Roberts family history...

"...and STAY OUT!"

A shabbily-dressed male cat with light-brown fur was being thrown out of a butcher's shop in Brooklyn. After landing facefirst into a pile of snow, he sat back up and watched as the human owner of the shop slammed the door in front of him. The cat sighed sadly; perhaps there may be no hope for him in getting himself and his folks something to eat.

This cat's name was Alphonse Van Snooper, a member of a poor but very happy family of cats. Although they didn't have any money or class, all penniless/homeless Brooklynites (humans and animals alike) respected the Van Snoopers; they were said to be descendants of a group of cats who stowed away on the ship from the Netherlands to the New World, back when New Amsterdam was being established. Even one of their ancestors went on to become the pet cat of Peter Stuyvesant, the last governor of New Amsterdam!

But nowadays, despite support from the poor masses, the Van Snoopers never got a single break in their lives-most rich people in New York City (especially the Pawcourts) _hated _the family, not because they're poor, but because they also have been known to be skilled pickpockets. Hence the reason why Alphonse had snuck into the butcher's shop to steal some meat.

He turned away from the store and, slowly and sadly, went on his way back home. As he passed by store after store, his mind focused on what would happen if he wasn't successful in getting what he and his family wanted. His mother, father, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, cousins, grandparents...they could all starve! In fact, he was so worried, that he had failed to notice an old female raccoon Gypsy materializing in front of a candlemaker's shop and calling out to him.

"Young Alphonse Van Snooper," she said. "Quick, nimble, and swift of mind, body, and spirit. Hearken unto me and retrieve thy ultimate destiny!"

Startled, Alphonse yelped, tripped, and fell onto the ground. Upon getting back up, he looked around, growling as he did so. He muttered, "All right, all right! Who's the wise guy that made me...oh! M-Madame Zorina!"

And there she was again. Madame Zorina, the ever-watchful guardian of the Roberts family. The moment he saw her face, he instantly recognized her; the Roberts family weren't the only ones who were familiar with the legendary clairvoyant. She has had a lengthy history with the Van Snooper family, dating all the way back to the Middle Ages, and she was the person responsible for helping one of their ancestors get the most treasured high position.

Feeling embarassed, he quickly got down on his knees and bowed down to her. He murmurred, "Oh, forgive me, Madame Zorina. I...I thought you were one of those hecklers..."

Madame Zorina smiled and bent down to his level. She replied, "You need not apologize, young one. All is forgiven. In the meantime, as I have previously stated, here I have the ultimate destiny waiting just for you."

"Destiny?" asked Alphonse, puzzled. "What kind of destiny?"

"You will find out as time moves on. Until then, take this with you..."

With that, she took a deep breath and blew a handful of gold and silver dust in his face. As the cat coughed, she chanted her blessing-curse:

_Gold and silver, silver and gold  
May love cause your heart to be bold  
On Christmas you'll unwrap your destiny  
And you shall fall for the first person you see_

"There is a Christmas party at the Pawcourts' in Manhattan," she continued. "Though I sense pure happiness, there is also the presence of pure evil. I fear the demon dog is at it again..."

Alphonse looked up at her. "What are you talking abou-"

"...Belladonna! Just as I expected! She's making another attempt to prevent the branches of the Roberts family tree from extending any further. But, how? Let us see...mmm...oh...oh, no! T-That can't be! Love Potion#666!"

"Love Potion...what?"

"Is is a liquid that causes whoever drinks it to fall in love with the first person he or she sees. She has given that love potion to the Pawcourt Sisters, Elizabeth and Mary by name, in their intent to win young Charles' love...by force!"

"That doesn't sound good."

"If he drinks the potion, falls for either one of the sisters, and leaves his original intended bride behind, the effects on the Roberts family history could be disasterous. Belladonna has gone quite too far this time! Now, I need you to go to the Pawcourt Mansion, in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, and intercept her alternative plot to destroy the family; if you should ever fail, do not worry, for I have divine assistance on our side."

Alphonse had no other choice but to trust her. Whatever it is, his destiny will certainly be the greatest.

Meanwhile, back at the Pawcourts', all of the guests had arrived at the Christmas party. Among those guests were the Roberts family and their new friends; Mr. and Mrs. Pawcourt, the hosts themselves, received them there. It was nearly time for the dance, and Charles sat waiting for Alicia to come by.

Elizabeth chose this time to set the plan in action. After making sure no one was looking, she went over to the table and gestured for her sister to come along. She cleared her throat and said, "Well, if it isn't our old friend, Charles Hamilton Roberts! What a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Who are you?" asked Charles.

"Glad you asked. I am Miss Elizabeth Pawcourt, and the younger cat beside me is my sister Mary. We have heard a lot of great things about you."

"How could you possibly know...as I matter of fact, yes. I've attended West Point."

Mary exclaimed, "West Point! A school for young aspiring soldiers! A praiseworthy position, if I do say so myself..."

While Charles was distracted with talking with Mary, Elizabeth crept behind him and took the flask containing the love potion out. She was determined to make him hers forever, regardless of what anyone else says, and with that she procceeded to slowly (and quietly) administer a drop of the potion into his drink.

_"Once you partake of this potion," _she thought evilly. _"You shall be mine and mine alone..."_

At the same time, the Furrs arrived. They were very grateful to Richard and Scarlett for inviting them to the Christmas party, and offering to buy them the clothes suited for the occasion, as they themselves had nothing good to wear. Alicia stepped out of the carriage, her fur groomed neatly and wearing a dress that completely turned everyone's heads-a dazzling red ball gown. You could say that she truly dressed to impress; red has always been Charles' favorite color.

Just as they were about to head for the door, a male voice with a Brooklynese accent spoke up, " 'Scuse me, but do you know where I can find a Mr. Charles Roberts?"

Mr. and Mrs. Furr turned and smiled. They could recognize that voice from anywhere. Mr. Furr said, "Ha-ha! Alphonse! Good to see you again!"

Mrs. Furr added, "You certainly do look...different today."

Indeed, he did. Alphonse no longer had the messy and dirty look; instead, he was sporting a midnight black dinner coat with tails, vest, gold bow-tie, and pants. In fact, he looked so dapper, one could suspect that he became a millionaire!

"What brings you here to the Christmas party tonight?" Alicia asked, walking up towards him.

The moment his black eyes met her baby blue ones, his mind started going into a trance. Almost immediately the words of Madame Zorina's blessing-curse echoed in the wind: _"On Christmas you'll unwrap your destiny, and you shall fall for the first person you see..."_

"No, no, gotta focus," he murmurred, shaking his head. He then continued, "Where's Charles?"

"He's in there with his folks. Why?"

"Something terrible is about to happen to him. I must stop it."

"What do you mean 'something terrible'?"

Alphonse took a deep breath. He procceeded to tell them about Madame Zorina, and her warning about Belladonna helping the Pawcourt Sisters seduce Charles with a love potion, in order to prevent the Roberts family tree from growing. By the time he was finished telling his story, they were stunned and shocked beyond belief. Mrs. Furr whispered, "I...don't...believe it!"

"This is an outrage!" fumed Mr. Furr. "We can't allow Charles to break his promise to our daughter! Why, we purposely had made an agreement with Richard and Scarlett, a while back, to arrange the marriage between our two children!"

Alphonse nodded. "Which is why we must get in there and warn Charles to not drink that potion."

"Whoever Belladonna is, we mustn't let her get away with this. There is _no _way she is ever going to trick Charles into falling in love with someone else. If I had my way, I'd-"

Before he could say anything else, a bolt of lightning struck Mr. and Mrs. Furr. Then, much to Alicia's horror, they turned into stone statues. She screamed out, "No! Mama! Papa!"

Belladonna's cruel laughter echoed in the air. She said, "Foolish mortals! Do you _really _think you could put a stop to my ultimate plan?"

"Your days are numbered, Belladonna!" Alphonse called out boldly. "Charles will NEVER drink the love potion, no matter how hard your accomplices try!"

"What makes you think those Pawcourt Sisters are my accomplices? They're nothing more than mere pawns for accomplishing two big things: destroying the Roberts family and taking this world as my very own."

"Go ahead, I dare you to try that. But you will never, ever, _ever _eliminate the Roberts family legacy!"

With a growl, Belladonna lunged forward and prepared to attack Alphonse. But she got blown back by a bright gold sparkling barrier surrounding the cat, and another female voice (this time a heavenly one) called out, "You will do no such thing!"

Alphonse looked up and watched as a pink female angel whippet dog came floating down from the skies; her halo brightly glowing atop her head, the dog made a gentle landing on the ground next to the cat. Belladonna took a good look at her and sneered. "You again..."

"You mustn't interfere with the unfolding of the Red Dragon prophecy, Belladonna," continued the angel dog. "What is to be done has already been done; once the family tree is planted, you cannot uproot it, nor cut it down."

"Ha! Say what you want, cousin, but I'm not giving up my eternal quest for world domination. That family must be destroyed at all costs. Without them or their future descendants in my way, nothing can stop me now!"

"Whatever has gotten into you? I thought we've talked this over in Transylvania years ago. I always thought you would change someday..."

The commotion caused the guests inside the mansion to stop what they're doing and take a look outside. When he and his family walked out, Richard immediately noticed Belladonna. Drawing a sword, he said, "Scarlett, take Ella and Bonnie back inside with you. Charles and I will handle this flea-bitten demon dog alone."

Scarlett protested, "But, Richard-"

"I'll be fine. Just trust me."

She nodded and ushered her two daughters safely into the building, while Richard ventured forward towards the battlefield. To his left, he could see Alicia mourning over her frozen parents, and all at once feelings of sorrow and a desire for revenge began to bubble up within him. Belladonna was responsible for ruining the chance to secure a perfectly arranged marriage for his son...and she was going to pay for it.

"Belladonna!" he yelled out. "I hereby challenge you to a duel!"

The guests gasped in surprise at his bold declaration. Belladonna scoffed and said, "A duel? With a mortal like you? Surely you jest..."

The angel dog pleaded, "Please, refrain from challenging the founder of the bloodline. Do you even realize what could happen if you kill the Red Dragon?"

"Not as long as I can get what I really want. Why?"

"You will unleash a terrible curse..."

"Curses, schmerses! What's the worst that can happen, anyway?"

"...banished to the Underworld for 100 years..."

"Shut it, Lil' Miss Goody-Two-Paws! I'm taking down this weakling, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"I'm giving you one last chance to redeem yourself, Belladonna. Though you are wicked in mind and in spirit, I see some hope in you. What do you want to do? Come to the light of Heaven, or continue to wallow in the depths of Hell?"

Belladonna gazed at the outstretched paw of the angel dog. Then, slowly but surely, she began to stretch out her own paw towards it; all watched with bated breaths, wondering what she was about to do next. Richard set his sword back down, but kept it close to him just in case. Perhaps the demon dog can be trusted, after all...

ZAP!

Everyone quickly ducked their heads at the sound of lightning. But when they looked back up, they witnessed the most shocking moment of all: Richard, too, became a stone statue!

"Father!" shouted Charles.

The angel dog glared at Belladonna. She snarled, "Traitor! You've just turned Richard Roberts into a statue!"

"And my parents as well!" added Alicia.

With a smirk, Belladonna summoned two more bolts of lightning and used them to break the three statues into pieces, further mortifying the witnesses. She replied, in mock innocence, "Oops. Poor Charlie and Alicia. They're just gonna have to move on without dear old daddy."

"I suppose it is impossible for you to reform," muttered the angel dog sadly. "Your heart is corrupted; it can _never _be changed. Very well, then...if you want to take over this world and make every innocent mortal's lives miserable under your cold-hearted regime, then so be it."

Belladonna smirked once more. "Humph, glad to know you'd see it my way. Hear this, mortal weaklings! I won't be coming back for the next 100 years, but when I do...you shall see my true power as the future queen of the universe!"

With that, she conjured up a fiery chasm and leapt into it before it closed back up. Charles, Alicia, and the guests were now the only people left standing outside. Scarlett ran back out, Ella and Bonnie following behind. She said, "Is everything all right...?"

Seeing her son comfort his mate, she immediately sensed that something wasn't right, and she knew why. Her husband, along with Mr. and Mrs. Furr, was dead. Scarlett bent down to examine what remained of Richard, tears forming in her eyes. He was gone...her beloved husband of 14 years was gone...forever...

"Mama?" asked Bonnie. "Where's Papa?"

Fighting back hot tears, Scarlett tried her best to inform her young daughter about what had happened. "Sweetheart, he's...he's gone. I don't think he'll ever be coming back..."

"You mean he's dead?"

"In a way...yes."

The angel dog walked over to Scarlett, saying, "I am truly sorry about your loss, Mrs. Roberts."

"Thank you kindly," whispered Scarlett. "And thank you, once again, for saving us from that terrible demon dog. But...who are you?"

"I am Annabelle, ruler and guardian of Dog Heaven. The demon dog who killed your husband and your future daughter-in-law's loved ones is my evil cousin Belladonna."

"Oh...that monster! She's going to pay for what she did to them!"

Alphonse came up and put a reassuring paw on her shoulder. He said, "No need to do that. She won't be coming back out of the Underworld for 100 years, so you and your folks will have plenty of peace during that time."

Madame Zorina materialized and stood next to her. She said, "Despite a death in the family, the bloodline of the Red Dragon will still live on. As Annabelle so put it, once the family tree is planted, you cannot uproot it nor cut it down; its legacy is of pure importance when it comes to the future."

Everyone was so busy mourning the deaths of three people involved in the conflict, that they didn't notice Elizabeth and Mary walking out. Elizabeth yelled, "HEY! What's going on here?"

Alphonse looked at the sisters, before looking back at Scarlett. "Will you wait for a moment, ma'am? I need to have a word with the 'witches'."

After Alphonse left to speak with the Pawcourt Sisters, Madame Zorina continued to speak. "Close your eyes, my dear, and as you do so I will show you what the future may bring."

Scarlett did so, and almost immediately visions of the future began to flow through her mind...

Two years later, Charles and the newly-orphaned Alicia were happily wed. The person presiding over the ceremony was, of course, Madame Zorina herself. As these pictures of the future passed through, the raccoon Gypsy continued to talk.

_"In the years to come there will be bliss. You will meet people from all walks of life, who will do anything in their power to help you protect this world from evil."_

The next scene showed Alphonse looking up proudly at an empty red-bricked building somewhere in Manhattan, three months after Charles and Alicia's wedding. Next to him was his new wife Mary; they had first met each other shortly after the Christmas party (and the unexpected battle that took Richard's life). Sure enough, thanks to the Cupid's Folly spell, they fell in love and got married. It was right then and there that she and Elizabeth began to regret their selfish actions, and gave up their evil ways in order to gain love and respect from the lower class. As for the love potion Belladonna had given them, they got rid of it, vowing never to use anything like that again. Meanwhile, Alphonse finally learned what his "ultimate destiny" was: he became the first non-human to join the Pinkerton National Detective Agency (also known as the Pinkertons), and began his new life as a detective. With that, he changed his last name from "Van Snooper" to "Snooper", thus giving rise to a new bloodline and a new family business, which would be passed down from father to son for many generations.

_"They will be your most staunchest allies, vowing to stick by you and never let you down. Sometimes, even some of your most unlikely allies would be destined to go on to become members of your family, either by blood or by marriage."_

Another scene took place ten years later. Charles and Alicia went visiting his mother and sisters in Atlanta, and they brought along their four children: nine-year-old Melanie, seven-year-old Annabelle, four-year-old Carol, and their baby brother Tommy. Little Annabelle (named after the guardian angel dog who had saved the Roberts' lives), a bright young puppy dog with dark blonde fur and curly blonde hair, looked forward to seeing her grandmother again; even though she was aware that she'll never get to see her Grandpa Richard, since he had died years before she was born, she knew he was always present...in the form of a red dragon spirit, scaling the skies.

_"Although your husband is dead and gone, you will never be completely alone. Behold the spirit of the red dragon! Procyon took his soul at the moment of his death and transformed it into such a creature, like the one you may have seen on his chest. He will be present in all future generations of the Roberts family, and their connecting branches."_

Flash-forward to nine years later. Annabelle, now sixteen, had just stepped out of the train that took her to Kitty Hawk, South Carolina. On her way to visit her aunt Ella, she happened to bump into another person going the opposite direction. It was a 17-year-old Canadian immigrant named William Raccoon; he and his folks had moved to the US from Ontario when he was 8. It was at that moment that the two began to fall in love at first sight-the Cupid's Folly spell strikes again.

_"Though there may be numerous trials along the way, and enemies from every corner attempt to take you down..."_

Unfortunately, their whirlwind courtship didn't go off to a good start. A year later, William accidentally got her pregnant; on the urging of a very angry Charles, he had no other choice but to marry Annabelle, to avoid the possiblity of their child being born out of wedlock.

_"...know that the prophecy of the Red Dragon stands the test of time, and good luck will always be on your side no matter what. Just remember, Mrs. Roberts..."_

Now it was May 1, 1902. The time came for Annabelle to give birth. As the doctor and the midwife went about to assist in the birth, the voice of Madame Zorina began to drift away into an echo, bearing the most important piece of advice:

_"...heroes _never _give up...give up...give up..."_

Downstairs, William paced back and forth in the parlor. He was worried about his wife's health; Annabelle had been in labor for no more than fourteen hours. What if she died giving birth to their child? Or what if the child died instead? Even worse, what if both Annabelle _and _the child died? He'll never forgive himself if any of those situations occurred. During the shotgun wedding a year ago, William had promised to treat Annabelle right and to take good care of her, meaning he shouldn't let her die...or else Charles will have his hide.

"Mr. Raccoon?"

At the mention of his name, the raccoon turned around to see the human midwife coming down the stairs. He ran towards her, asking, "How is Annabelle? Is she doing all right?"

"Yes, and the poor thing's all tuckered out," replied the midwife. "In the meantime, I came down to tell you the good news. Your wife has brought forth a healthy baby boy."

William smiled. "A...a son...? I have a son?"

"Indeed. But I'm afraid you can't see her yet; she needs to rest for about an hour or two. Once that's out of the way, you can then see her and your son."

And so William waited. After a while, he was finally allowed to see Annabelle; he stepped into their bedroom and found her in bed, suckling what appeared to be a tiny raccoon kit. Annabelle looked up at William and smiled tiredly. She whispered, "Look at him...isn't he the most precious thing in the world?"

William looked down at the mewling young raccoon kit. The baby had bent ears and a bent nose, just like his father's, and his eyes were chocolate brown like his mother's. William fought back the urge to cry-he was indeed the most precious baby he has ever seen. He said, "Yes, Annabelle. He is. I have a feeling, one day in the future, that he'll grow up to be someone special."

"What do you think we shall name him?"

He stood there to think. There were thousands of names he had in mind for his firstborn son. John...Vernon...Daniel...Ulysses...those were the names of his brothers. There was also his great-uncle Joseph Raccoon; what Annabelle didn't know was that, long before the Civil War, Raoul LePatte (her biological grandfather) and Joseph were childhood friends. William had always admired his late great-uncle, and he figured the only way he could honor his memory is if he named his firstborn child after him.

"Joseph," he said with a smile. "Joseph Charles Raccoon."

Annabelle looked at him. "I suppose you chose my father's name as the middle name."

"What do you think of it?"

"...I love it."

"As do I."

The two smiled, before they gazed back down at their newborn son. And, if they listened closely, they could hear the faint roar of a dragon mixing with the sound of the baby yawning. A secure future for the fourth generation of the Roberts family...


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

June 21, 1920

Detroit, Michigan. To eighteen-year-old Joseph Raccoon, it was a city of opportunities; he had just left his home in Evergreen to go back to the US, in search of his first job.

Even after the immigration policies were stamped out a while ago, Joe (as his friends and family called him back at home) had been born a US citizen, before he and his folks had to move to Canada when he was thirteen. His family consisted of himself, his mother, his father, his four younger brothers, and a baby sister...a small family living in a small town.

One of his younger brothers was John. Out of all the family members, he was the most eccentric; at the age of fourteen he considered himself a good comedian. He dreamed that one day, just one day, he'd make it to vaudeville. Or, at least, in the silent films of the era.

Then there was Vernon, at 13. An aspiring young inventor, he had been inspired by the stories his parents told him about the Wright brothers' first flight in Kitty Hawk; Joe was only a baby when the event took place. This gave Vernon all the motivation he needed to make new things every day.

Daniel, at 11, was the troublemaker of the family. Sometimes he did things that got his siblings in trouble, other times it got the whole family in trouble. At one time during the Prohibtition, he snuck out of his home to spend time with his uncles, who were involved in secretly distrubuting alcohol to the US; he loved being part of it all, not only because there was nobody else around to tell him what he can or cannot do, but because he also got a chance to experience the taste of the brew. Unforunately, curiosity got the better of the pre-teen raccoon kit...every time he went back home, he carried the smell of alcohol in his breath and he wasn't able to focus better in school. The first person to notice it was his eight-year-old brother/classmate Ulysses Raccoon. After he had told the parents, William was _terribly _disappointed in his son's actions; he blamed his brothers for being a bad influence on him and, more than often, attempted to kill them for that. Only Procyon's words were enough to prevent him from going on a murderous rampage: _"Hold your peace, young one. A change in your offspring will come in time." _And it did. Daniel apologized for his disobedience, and promised to always do the right thing from now on.

Lastly, there was little Gertrude, known affectionately to all as "Gertie". Gertie was no ordinary six-year-old raccoon kit; her fascination with cars and anything fast began when she heard about the founding of the Ford Factory. Her dream was to actually own and drive her own car someday...perhaps a motorcycle (with a detachable sidecar) would sound good.

As for Joe, once he first set foot in Detroit, he wasn't aware of what kind of fate lay in store for him on this cloudy summer day. While walking through the dirty and grimy part of the city, he noticed a group of human boys around his age, chasing another human boy. Joe instantly recognized the boy-it was none other than his half-human cousin, Rexford Chase Armington.

Twenty-one years ago, his aunt Melanie Roberts had married a rich young English gentleman named Edward Armington. What made the marriage unique was, not only he was an Englishman, but he was also...an English_dragon_! Edward came from a long line of noble dragons, dating all the way back to the prehistoric era (when dragons used to roam the British Isles before the advent of humans); the family name, "Armington", came from the name of a long-extinct English village the dragons had founded and dwelled in, long before the humans came and destroyed it. The fact that Rex was the result of such a union was anything but normal, his mother being human and his father a dragon. On the outside, he was an average 20-year-old human boy, while deep inside him he had dragon blood pumping through his veins...which made him a very unfortunate target of prejudice.

"You're not welcome here, you freak," taunted one of the boys. "Half human, half dragon, a total and complete abomination to mankind..."

"Stop!" Rex cried out. "You guys don't understand! I _may _be half-dragon, but my family only loves me for who I am, not for what I look like. You should, too!"

"Oh, sure, we will...when pigs fly!"

The boys pounced on him and started attacking him right away. Joe couldn't stand to see his cousin and best friend getting hurt, so he had to jump in to break up the fight. It was a good thing his fighting and defense skills outweighed that of the boys'; with his strength he pried the bullies off of Rex, and pushed them away. Watching them run off, he called out after them, "Beat it, vandals! I don't want any of you getting your hands on my cousin again!"

He then turned his attention to Rex and examined him. Bruised, battered, cut in some places, knocked unconscious, and left with only one blackeye. Joe shook his head; his cousin was in no good shape whatsoever, so the best thing he could do is carry him to the nearest hospital. Once there, Rex was attended to, his injuries were healed, and by the time he regained consciousness the first person he saw was Joe himself.

"Joe!" he said with a smile. "Boy, am I so glad to see you again! I really want to thank you for saving my life."

"Don't mention it," replied Joe. "Those human boys out there...they gave you a real beating, didn't they?"

"Mostly because I'm a half-breed. I'm part human and part dragon; in other words, I'm not even sure if I can be able to fit in this society any more. Detroit's full of full-blooded humans, Joe, and that's a fact. Caucasians are welcome here...African-Americans are welcome here, too. But human-animal hybrids...are not."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with being a 'pure species'. Around here, all marriages between humans and animals of any kind are strictly forbidden; my parents had never been aware of that fact when they first moved in here."

Joe scoffed. He said, "Not the way I see it. I'd suggest you ignore the nuts who made up that law; in our family, when it comes to love and marriage, there are _no _boundaries. Don't you remember the story of how our great-grandfather sought Procyon's advice as to whether it is acceptable to marry our great-grandmother?"

Rex nodded. "That I know of. He was a human and she was a rabbit, yet their love was so strong that they overcame many obstacles to become the first interspecies couple in America. If it wasn't for them, we'd never exist."

"And that proves my point. Don't let anything or anyone tell you who you have to be, when you can just be yourself. Eventually, there will come a day in the distant future, when interspecies marriages become popular and the so-called 'pure' humans will have to accept it. That's what Madame Zorina had always taught us-'To seek peace, unity between creatures of all kinds must be achieved.' Me, I'm a raccoon, but I'm a special kind of raccoon; our great-grandfather was human and Afro-Hispanic, our great-grandmother was a rabbit and Irish-French...heck, it's also rumored that we may have a second great-grandfather who's also French...simply put, we both share a very unique and distinct bloodline."

"That's true."

"Besides, didn't you say you are part-dragon?"

Rex nodded, closed his eyes, and strained for a bit. Almost instantly, a pair of red dragon wings grew out of his back; Joe was amazed. He continued, "Oh...so you really _are _part-dragon."

"Yes," replied Rex, as his wings retracted into his back. "And I'm not ashamed of it. So, what brings you here to Detroit?"

"I came out of Evergreen, looking for a job. Do you know where I can get one?"

"I have just the thing. I'll lead you right to it when I get out of the hospital."

A few days later, Joe and Rex were back out walking along the street; by then it had started to rain. They continued on, until Rex paused, looked up, and gestured for his friend to come over. They stood in front of a fairly large empty red-bricked building, which sat in between a clock repair shop and a bakery; it towered over them, giving the impression of something along the lines of the Leaning Tower of Pisa except, of course, it never really leans.

"You see that building right there?" said Rex. "This, my friend, is my destiny."

"Your destiny is in an empty building?" asked Joe.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. What I meant is that I had big dreams of becoming a policeman someday."

"I see. I do have to mention one problem, though: how can you join the police force if hybrids aren't allowed?"

"That's what _they _think, but here's what they do not know about my plan. I'm not joining the police force-I'm going to create a new one. A new police force that's different from all the rest. Not only it'll offer protection to humans, but to toons as well. And best of all, its members will be both humans and toons. What do you think?"

Joe stared at him in amazement. Although he had no idea what his cousin was talking about, the prospect of a new police force operated by humans and toons seemed intriguing to him. He wondered if he, too, could become a policeman like Rex; all the other job opportunities in the city were dim in comparison. However, he realized there should be more to the job offer than just the description of it.

"I like it," he replied. "I...actually like it, I guess. The description of your dream job sounds amazing, Rex, but...eh...have you ever thought about what you are going to call it?"

Rex smiled. "The Earth Toon Protection Agency, dedicating our lives to fighting crime, evil, and injustice all over the world. And you, my good sir, will be its first employee."

Joe's jaw almost dropped when he heard the promotion. The new police force's first employee...was he dreaming? He had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and when it hurt, he knew it was for real. "...m-m-me? The agency's first policeman?"

"With me as the boss," answered Rex with a nod.

"Gee wiz...I don't...know what to say..."

"And what a better way to start than to recite a creed?"

"What creed?"

"The one I've written during my stay in the hospital."

Rex reached into his coat pocket and took out a piece of paper. He continued, "I call this 'The Official Creed Of The Earth Toon Protection Agency". In the years to come, it will be a tradition for new recruits to recite this oath, in order to become full-fledged members of the agency. So...are you ready?"

Joe looked at him. "I guess..."

"Good! Now, I want you to put your left paw in the air and your right paw on your heart..."

Joe did as his cousin told him, though a little more awkwardly. To tell the truth, he hasn't done anything like this before; to him, it felt like he was getting married rather than getting sworn in. He muttered, "N-Now what?"

"You repeat after me, so listen close. I, Joseph Charles Raccoon..."

"I, Joseph Charles Raccoon..."

"...do solemnly swear..."

"...d-do solemnly swear..."

"...in the name of all that stands for peace in the United States of America..."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I don't think I've ever done this type of thing before. Are you sure this will work? I mean, I have lived in Canada for some time..."

"It will not matter. You're still a US citizen, after all. Please, cousin, do this for me-do it for the world. It'll all come naturally to you in the end."

Joe took the time to think about it. Not long after he did this, the voice of Procyon began to speak to him. _"Young one...why do you hesitate to accept the destiny that is here before you?"_

"Procyon," replied Joe. "I'm sorry, but I'm beginning to feel somewhat...doubtful. My cousin Rex wants me to join his new police force. Is it really _that _neccessary?"

_"Do not doubt the validity of your destiny, Joseph Raccoon. It is indeed neccesary to take charge of which direction it may take you; the world needs future heroes like you. If you become one, you will ensure that..."_

"I know, I know-the bloodline of the Red Dragon will live on, and so forth. What _is _so special about that destiny, anyway?"

As if to answer that question, a bolt of lightning came crashing down and struck Joe. A huge surge of electricity flowed through every part of his body, head to toe, until it disappeared...and he vanished in thin air, much to the shock and surprise of his cousin. Rex called out, "Joe? Joe? Where are you, buddy? JOE!"

Where the raccoon had gone off to, nobody knows. But the minute the electrical surge died down and he woke back up, he was about to find out...


End file.
